


Remedy

by VolunteerFieryDantooinian



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fjord’s Patron, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-03 23:51:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15829470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolunteerFieryDantooinian/pseuds/VolunteerFieryDantooinian
Summary: Fjord has another dream. Caduceus cares for him.





	Remedy

**Author's Note:**

> Was really feelin the urge for a fluffy thing with Caduceus and Fjord involving Fjord’s dreams, so I wrote it myself!

The night was slow and still in the room that Caduceus and Fjord occupied. Fjord had gone to sleep a bit early, muscles sore from a fight earlier in the day. Caduceus couldn’t bring himself to sleep quite yet. He wasn’t sure why.

He watched his roommate, curled up into a protective position on his bed, blankets clutched to his chest. He looked guarded, and a bit afraid. It was oddly endearing, and a stark contrast to the usual front Fjord put up. 

What Caduceus didn’t quite expect was when he stirred slightly, making a soft sound. His face twisted slightly, as if he was in pain. His throat hitched, and Caduceus recognized the shallow hitch of his breath. It was as if he was dying, but Caduceus had been warned by Fjord about his occasional... Wet dreams, Jester had said? He wasn’t sure what was so funny about that, but it was alright.

Caduceus got up and leisurely began the process of making tea. He chose a blend of a few types of flowers, optimized for helping someone relax and soothing a sore throat. He watched Fjord all the while, pouring the tea into two mugs and waiting.

It didn’t take long for Fjord to wake, shoulders hitching as he gasped for breath, choking as if he was drowning. Caduceus proceeded to his side, quiet. One hand rested gently on Fjord’s shoulder as he helped him to sit up. As he patted his back gently, the half-orc brought up a sudden gush of pink tinted seawater, whining softly in pain. 

“Alright, now. Deep breaths, Fjord,” Caduceus soothed, rubbing his back. He watched sagely as Fjord leaned into his touch, shoulders still hitching with painful, wet coughs. After a few minutes, Fjord seemed to be mostly coherent, and he turned to look at Caduceus, shivering. 

“I think..” Fjord murmured, voice hoarse and eyes unfocused. “I think I’m going to be sick,” He managed, and Caduceus nodded, pulling the wastebasket from the floor and into Fjord’s lap. He clutched the thing tightly, looking queasily into it, shoulders trembling as Caduceus sat with him. He coughed up a thin gush of water into the bin. Caduceus rubbed his back, pressing a bit more against areas he knew would help with his nausea. 

“Alright, if you are, that’s okay. Better than keeping it back,” He advised, keeping his voice gentle. Fjord nodded and retched into the bin, leaning heavily against Caduceus. “I’ve got you, I’m not letting you fall,” He reassured, fitting an arm around Fjord’s back. He was shivering against Caduceus, who began to gently massage his shoulders. He was very tense, as he had expected. He hummed and worked the knots out with his large, warm hands, gentle fingers probing at his shoulders. 

Soon, Fjord’s shoulders had relaxed, but he didn’t look any less nauseated. Caduceus kept rubbing his back, stroking his damp hair away from his forehead. It certainly seemed to help, after a while; Fjord was looking a little more steady in Caduceus’ arms. Crisis averted, apparently. 

“Do you think you’d be able to keep down some weak tea?” He asked, and Fjord winced.

”Is it dead people tea?” His voice was miserable and still rough. Caduceus shook his head. 

“No, my supply is running low, so I went out foraging,” He explained, and Fjord visibly relaxed. 

“Maybe,” He said, voice small and pained. Caduceus nodded. He gently turned himself so he could see Fjord’s face, and he gently pulled his jaw a bit further open. Fjord didn’t protest. He frowned at the small cuts in his mouth, the raw places where his tusks were coming in. He released Fjord. 

“Mm, this tea should help nicely with that,” He murmured, and Fjord nodded meekly. “Tell me if you start feeling sick again, alright? Wouldn’t want you to suffer in silence, and I’ve got a few things that can help if you’re feeling particularly off-kilter,” He said. 

“Will do,” Fjord said quietly, awkwardly, not meeting his eyes.

Caduceus handed him the mug of tea and continued to watch him. Fjord sipped it cautiously, then sighed. “This is good,” He noted, then bit his lip, eyes going vacant for a moment. 

“Your friend,” Caduceus said softly. “Would he do this for you?” 

Fjord nearly choked on his tea, then looked nauseated again. 

“What?” He choked out, but it was rhetorical. He hesitated, frowning at the ground and sighing.

”Sometimes, yes, if he would be one of the first up after I’d had a nightmare. Or if we were sharing a room, as we always did,” He said quietly, lost in thought. “When I felt your hands on my back, I- admittedly, I was close to calling out for Molly,” His voice was low and closed-off, and Caduceus nodded, watching him still. 

“He’s here with you,” Caduceus said, a level of certainty in his voice. Fjord nodded and continued to sip his tea. He looked more than a bit miserable, not to mention very weary. 

“Deuces?” Fjord asked, eyes lowered. 

“Hm?” He responded, smiling warmly at Fjord. The man looked away for a moment, closing his eyes, then back at him. 

“I’m not feeling too good,” He admitted, voice weak, and Caduceus nodded. Throughout the conversation, he’d been turning a sickly shade of pale green. He honestly wasn’t sure if it was from the nausea or the topic at hand.

“I’ve got some things for that,” He murmured, going through his sparse belongings and pulling out a small piece of ginger root. He crushed it with a small knife and let some of the juice drip into Fjord’s tea. “That should do it,” He affirmed, and Fjord nodded in thanks, taking slow, cautious sips. He did know that whatever happened in Fjord’s dreams was likely off the table for discussion. 

After a while of sitting in companionable silence, Fjord began to look more and more relaxed, eyes heavy with exhaustion. Caduceus finished his own tea, and found he was feeling a bit sleepy himself. “Is your throat feeling any better now?” He asked, and Fjord nodded. 

”Thank you, Caduceus, that did quite a good deal to calm my nerves. Not to mention help out the throat situation,” He laughed softly and winced. 

“I’d take it easy, eh? No reason to rush,” Caduceus advised. Fjord nodded, and looked into the distance. “Is something on your mind?” 

“May I.. This may seem like a strange request, but since I’ve been feeling so, off-kilter, as you said.. Is there a chance I could stay with you tonight? Not to mention my sheets are still soaked,” He asked meekly. 

“You’re already staying with me,” Caduceus said, voice tilted in slight confusion. A realization dawned upon him. “Ah, I see what you mean. Sleeping in my bed,” He said plainly, and Fjord nodded, face flushed. “I don’t see why not,” He said, and walked over to his own bed, sitting down.

Fjord stood slowly and walked over as well, lying down next to Caduceus, who extinguished the candle. After a while, he noted how cold Fjord was where he was pressed against him. Gently, Caduceus tugged an arm around Fjord’s waist. When Fjord didn’t push him away, he curled around his still-shivering form, rubbing warm hands over his freezing skin.

Fjord sighed and cuddled against him, huddling under the blankets and letting Caduceus put his arms around him so they were quite close. “This is nice,” He murmured, and nearly unnoticeably, he felt Fjord nod. 

Slowly, as Fjord’s breathing evened out and sleep took him, Caduceus managed to drift off as well, surrounded with a feeling of warm safety. 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [if you don't mind, i'll walk that line](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18691645) by [KuroFae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuroFae/pseuds/KuroFae)




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